CECILIA "CC" DENISE HARRIS - 20 Months (2010) - Dubuque IA

Dubuque Woman Accused Of Killing Daughter To Serve 78 Years In Prison

Story Created: Aug 15, 2011 CDT

MANCHESTER, Iowa - A Dubuque woman charged in the death of her toddler daughter has pleaded guilty to six charges, including child endangerment resulting in death and desecration of a corpse.

Tamelia Harris pleaded guilty on Monday at the Delaware County Courthouse in Manchester. She was sentenced to 78 years in prison.

Harris had been charged with first-degree murder in the death of her 20-month-old daughter, Cecelia. Harris had been jailed since July 2010 when police began looking for the child. Police later found the remains of a small child in Harris' backyard.

Harris waived her right for a 15 day delay before sentencing. She told the judge she wanted to be sentenced at the pre-trial hearing Monday.

Dubuque Assistant County Attorney Chris Corken says they agreed to a plea because she wasn’t sure if they would be able to prove first degree murder.

Instead of risking a jury finding Harris not guilty, Corken says they pursued six separate counts that would mandate Harris to spend 78 years in prison.

The defense stated that the plea eliminated a life in prison term and gives Harris the eligibility for parole.

The 6 charges Harris plead guilty to are :
1. Child endangerment resulting in death - 50 Years
2. Neglect of dependent minor - 10 Years
3. Desecration of a corpse - 5 Years
4. Possession of incendiary device -10 Years
5. Child endangerment - 2 Years
6. Providing false information to law enforcement - 1 Year

http://www.kcrg.com/news/dubuque/Dubuque-Woman-Accused-Of-Killing-Daughter-127773813.html

An Iowa toddler whose remains were found in the backyard of her family’s home in 2010 has been laid to rest.
KGAN-TV
reports a funeral for Cecelia Harris was held Saturday morning at a
cemetery outside of Dubuque. The girl’s remains had been in state
custody during the investigation of her death.
The girl was 20 months old when she went missing in July 2010. Police later found the remains of a small child in the backyard.
The girl’s mother, Tamelia Harris, pleaded guilty in August to six charges, including child endangerment resulting in death and desecration of a corpse. She’s been sentenced to 78 years in prison.
http://thegazette.com/2011/10/16/dubuque-girl-laid-to-rest-more-than-year-after-death/